The present invention relates to improvements in appearance-enhanced collars of shirts made of knitted construction material using plastic stays, the improvements, more particularly, facilitating the inserting of the plastic stays along the edges bounding the neck opening of the collar.
It is known by common experience that while it is desired to wear an open collar shirt of knitted fabric construction material at different times because it is particularly comfortable to wear, the somewhat casual appearance afforded by it inhibits its use on occasions when a somewhat tidier appearance is desired. One reason for this is the collar which by virtue of being made of knitted fabric tends to lay irregularly and does not look neat and tidy.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,286,278 for xe2x80x9cKnitwear Articles Having Collarsxe2x80x9d issued to R. R. O""Connor on Nov. 22, 1996 directly addresses this problem and proposes as a solution inserting plastic stays in cooperating pockets strategically located at the edges of the collar which bound the front neck opening of the shirt. Using stay-embodying techniques, as disclosed in numerous prior patents, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,337 for xe2x80x9cShape Retaining Collar Devices and Articles Of Wearing Apparel Using Samexe2x80x9d issued to Molouf, Jr. on Sep. 1, 1981, O""Connor""s knitted collar has pockets with end openings through which the plastic stays are inserted and, after which, have to be stitched closed since knitted fabric, unlike woven fabric, will not otherwise retain the pocketed stays during normal wear because of the nature of the knitted construction. The pocket-closing stitching adds to manufacturing and handling costs and prevents removal of the stays, which is desirable, before cleaning/washing the shirt at a temperature that distorts the shape of the plastic stays.
Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a knitted collar with embodied plastic stays overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.
More particularly, it is an object to use to advantage the use of an entry opening into the stay pockets that is closed by the stretch and recovery of the knitted construction material and thus obviates the closure stitching of the prior art, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.